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} B. T. STEBER.

MATCH MACHINE.

' No. 352,162. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

BERNARD T. STEBER, OF UTI OA, NEW YORK.

MATCH-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,162, dated November 9, 1886.

V Application filed March 17, 1886. Serial No. 195,560. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BERNARD T. STEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Match-Machines, of-which the following is a specification. 1 I

My invention relates to improvements in that class of match-machines which prepare IO the splints or match-sticks which have been previously cut, so that they can be dipped into the igniting compounds and not' adhere together. v

The object of my invention is to form asimr 5 ple means of putting match-splints into grooved slats, thus employing the oldest and simplest way of holding the splints to be dipped.

The principal objection to the grooved-slat system has heretofore been the difficulty offilling the grooved slats, which at best was a slow operation. 'To overcome this difficulty the splints were commonly cut double length,

and thus each splint put into its groove would make two matches. This was naturally much quicker than it would have been to fill the grooves with single match-sticks; but the great loss sustained by reason of the matches igniting while being cut in two made this otherwise simple means much too expensive. Va- 0 rious means have been employed for cutting double-length matches dipped at opposite ends, but all have the fault of igniting the matches while cutting. To overcome the above-named objections I 3 5 have invented, first, a hopper into which the splints are placed in bulk, and from which they are deposited automatically into the grooved slats, and, secondly, a new system of employing a large number of hoppers at the 40 same time. It is obvious that by this new and simple means it is no more necessary to use doublelength splints, as the hoppers can be increased to an almost unlimited number. a

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of one of my new machines having two hoppers. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one of the hoppers, and Fig. 3 is a top view of one of the hoppers. Similar letters refer to similar parts through- 0 out the several views.

I B represents'the table or bed of the machine.

A A are the hoppers.

Sis the outside wall or shell of the hoppers, and is a piece of sheet metal bent around to form the front and two sides of the hopper.

1" is the piece forming the bottom and back of hopper. e

w w w w are fingers or guides attached to the lower end of r, and turned downat the ends, so as not to catch on the splints which are in the grooves of the slats while the slat is passing backward.

D D are two grooved slats.

f f are pins or projections attached to the slat-carrier x, to engage with and move the slats.

z z are pieces of sheet metal turned in at right angles, thus forming a small shelf inside of the hoppers at the opening or place where the filled slats leave the hoppers.

a a are two tension-springs, attached at their top ends to the hoppers and at their lower ends to the stationary bar I) b, which is firmly connected with the bed of the machine by means of the standards 0 c.

m is the pivot upon which the hopper swings, and o is one of the standards. which connect the hopper to the bed-of the machine.

It is a tapering cut in the plate r above the space between the fingersw w, and is designed to allow splints, which would otherwise clog, to'pass out.

z are the guideways in which the slide 3 of the crossbar :0 moves.

Operation: To operate the machine, the hoppers A Aare filled with paralleltsituated splints extending crosswise in hopper. The slat-carrier m is pulled forward far enough to leave space enough for the slat to be placed between the cross-bar w and the shelf 2. The slats are placed 1 pen the bed so that the postsff will enter thlough the hole in the end of the slat, and the slat-carrier is pushed backward with a single backward motion until all of the grooves of the slats have passed under the shelf 2, when the motion is reversed," and by a shakingback-and-forward motion the slats are gradually drawn toward the front of the machine. While being thus drawn from un- 106' der the hopper the grooved slats are filled with splints. The slats thus filled are piled one on top of the other and clamped together, and the matches are dipped into the igniting compounds in a separate state.

The fingers or guides w w w to play an important part in the working of the hopper, as while the slat is on a rearward stroke the said guides lift the splints out of the slat, forming a rotary motion of the splints in the bottom of the hopper, and thus rolls them in 7 position to drop into the grooves of the slats while the slats are passing forward. They also make the machine work smooth and easy.

The main object of having the hoppers pivot at m is to allow the shelf z,whieh rolls the splints into the slats, to move upward in case a splint or sliver should become clogged, thus allowing such splints or sticks to pass out and not interfere with the working of the machine. I am also enabled to disconnect the spring a from the hoppers, and swing the hoppers up, inease I wish to look under them or clean out any objectionable matter which might gather underneath. To hold the slats firmly to the bed while they are being filled, and prevent them from shaking out the splints, a presser-roller can be placed over each slat at a point between z and It does not matter whether the hoppers remain stationary and the slats are moved, or whether the slat-earrier and slats are held stationary and the hoppers are moved, or both can be moved at the same time. A good effeet is produced by moving the hoppers continually back and forth and allowing the slats to move with a steady forward motion.

The machine can either be operated by hand or by power mechanism.

Instead of the hopper or shelf z rising up, the hopper or shelf can remain stationary, and the slat can move down. Either way will answer.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a grooved slat and a movable hopper so arranged as to lift from the slat and allow clogging substances to pass out and to automatically adjust itself into a proper position for filling, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a slatfilling hopper and a slat-carrier mover or holder so arranged as to allow the slat to drop down and allow clogging substances to pass out, and to automatically adjust itself into a proper position for being filled, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a grooved slat and the movable shelf 2, so arranged as to lift from slat and allow clogging substances to pass out, and to automatically adjust itself into a proper position for filling the grooves of slats, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a grooved slat, a

hopper, and a pair of fingers or guides so arranged as to unload the slat of its splints while the slat is moving one way, and to allow splints to roll into the grooves of the slat and pass out from the hopper while the slat is moving in an opposite or nearly opposite direction, substantially as specified.

5. In combination with a grooved slat and a hopper, the wedge-shaped cut 71, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of a grooved slat and a slat-carrier to carry the slat under the hopper, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of a grooved slat, a hopper, and a hopper-carrier, substantially as specified.

8. TheZcombination of a movable hopper and the spring a, so arranged as to actuate the hopper and keep it in a proper position for doing its work, substantially as specified.

9. In combination with two or more grooved slat-filling hoppers, the means described for moving two or more grooved slats at the same time, substantially as specified.

10. In combination with two or more grooved slats, means for moving two or more hoppers at the same time, substantially as specified.

BERNARD T. STEBER.

\Vitnesses: I

C. F. PALMER, J. Lnwrs Jones. 

